Dances

Saila Dance

Only males participate
in this group dance, performed during public functions, national festivals, and
political rallies, and in January after cutting the crop. All the dancers hold
two hard bamboo sticks and strike the sticks of their neighbour in unison.

Suwa Dance

This is a dance by
which a young girl lets a young boy know she is interested in him. When a
marriageable young boy listens this song and sees the girl dancing, he sends a
marriage proposal to her parents. It is also danced to please the goddess of
wealth.

Karma Dance

"Karam" is a
tree worshipped by the locals. According to legend, in an ancient war, only a
young couple that hid in the hollow trunk of this tree was left alive, and ever
since then this tree has been regarded as sacred. The karma dance is peformed
according to caste, but holds the same significance across all castes.
Male and female
dancers are chained together to form a circle. A branch of the karam tree is
passed among the dancers as they sing and dance in praise of the karam tree.
This branch should not touch the earth. At the end of the dance, it is washed
with milk and rice beer and later it is planted in the middle of the dancing
arena.

Panthi

Conveying the spirit
of their guru's renunciation and the teachings of saint poets like R Panthi,
the folk dance of the Satnami community, has religious overtones. Panthi is
performed on Maghi Purnima, the anniversary of the birth of Guru Ghasidas. The
dancers dance around a jaitkhamb set up for the occasion, to songs eulogizing
their spiritual head. The songs reflect a view of nirvaamdas and Dadu. Dancers
with bent torsos and swinging arms dance, carried away by their devotion. As
the rhythm quickens, they perform acrobatics and form human pyramids.

Pandwani

Pandavani is a folk
ballad form performed predominantly in Chhattisgarh. It depicts the story of
the Pandavas, the leading characters in the epic Mahabharata. The artists in
the Pandavani narration consist of a lead artist and some supporting singers
and musicians. There are two styles of narration in Pandavani, Vedamati and
Kapalik. In the Vedamati style the lead artist narrates in a simple manner by
sitting on the floor throughout the performance. The Kaplik style is livelier,
where the narrator actually enacts the scenes and characters.
Teejan Bai is an
famous sxponent of Pandavani.

Rawat Nacha

Rawat Nacha, the folk
dance of cowherds, is a traditional dance of Yaduvanshis (clan of Yadu) as
symbol of worship to Krishna from the 4th day of Diwali(Goverdhan Puja) till
the time of Dev Uthani Ekadashi (day of awakening of the gods after a brief
rest) which is the 11th day after Diwali according to the Hindu calendar . The
dance closely resembles Krishna's dance with the gopis (milkmaids).
In Bilaspur, the Rawat Nach Mahotsav folk
dance festival is organized annually since 1978. Tens of hundreds of Rawat
dancers from remote areas participate.

Festivals

Bustar Dussehra

The 600-year old
Bastar Dussehra begins with amavasya (dark moon) in the month of Shravan,
Bastar Dussehra spans over 75 days, ending on the thirteenth day of the bright
moon in the month of Ashwin. Dussehra festival in Bastar is different from other places where it is
linked with Lord Rama or the Ramayana. Bastar is in Dandakarnya, where Lord
Rama is believed to have spent the 14 years of his exile. Yet Bastar Dussehra
has nothing to do with Lord Rama or the Ramayana.
Here, instead of
rejoicing over the killing of Ravana, the tribals celebrate Dussehra as a
congregation of Devi Maoli (Bastar’s native deity, revered as the "elder
sister" of Devi Danteshwari, the family goddess of the ruling Kakatiya
family), and all her sisters. Hundreds of priests bring flower-bedecked local
deities to the Danteshwari temple in Jagdalpur, arriving with all pomp and
show.
In Bastar Dussehra,
the most awaited event is the rath yatra . The massive rath (chariot) might
look primitive to an outsider, but it is symbolic of the king's desire to
patronize locals instead of bringing a fancy chariot from elsewhere and tribal
taboos on using sophisticated tools to make the chariot. It is hewn afresh each
year, and the sight of 400 marias pulling it leaves a potent impression of
tribal faith.
COMPONENTS &
RITUALS OF BASTAR DUSSEHRA
PATA JATRA, WORSHIP OF
THE WOOD.
DERI GADHAI, Posting
Of the Pillars.
KACHAN GAADI, A Throne for Kachan Devi
KALASH STHAPANA,
Installation of the Urns
JOGI BITHAI, the
Jogi's Penance
RATH PARIKRAMA,
Chariot Circuit
NISHA JATRA, the
Nocturnal Festival
JOGI UTHAI, Rising of
the Jogi
MAOLI PARGHAV,
Reception of the Devi Maoli
BHEETAR RAINI, the
Inner Circuit
BAAHAR RAINI, the
Outer Circuit
KACHAN JATRA,
Thanksgiving
MURIA DURBAR, Tribal
Chieftains' Conference
OHADI, Farewell to the
Deities

Hareli Festival

This festival is
celebrated by farmers in the month of Shravan, by worshipping farm equipment
and cows. They place branches and leaves of the Bhelwa tree in the fields and
pray for a good crop, and also hang small Neem branches at the main entrance of
their homes to prevent seasonal diseases. For the next 15 days, Baigas (the
traditional medical practitioners) teachi their disciples - this goes on till panchami
(the day following Ganesh Chaturthi). On panchami , they examine their
disciples, and if satisfied with their performance, grant them the license to
practice medicine. Children play gedi (walking on bamboo) and take part in a gedi
race.

Bastar Lokotsav

This fortnight-long
tourism event, organized to coincide with Bastar Dassera , showcases the best
of Bastar. It takes place every year after the monsoons, when the forests and
waterfalls are at their best. Tribal handicrafts can be bought directly from
artisans. A folk arts festival of tribal dances and music, Bastar Parab, is
organized in Jagdalpur. Bastar Lokotsav adds a vibrnat diemnsion to the
festivals of the state.
The dates for Bastar Lokotsav are according
to the Hindu (Lunar) calendar, which means the date is not fixed as per the
Gregorian calendar.

Pola Festival

India is a country
where unity abounds in diversity and Chhattisgarh is no exception to this
age-old rule. Amongst the various strange rituals that prevail in the country,
animal worship is a common phenomenon. Chhattisgarh, with its predominant
tribal culture hold animals with great reverence and celebrate eclat festivals
as a mark of tribute. Pola is one such festival that is largely celebrated in
the bucolic zones of Chhattisgarh with great pomp and grandeur. The objective
behind the festive celebrations is to pay respect to the bullocks, without whom
the country's economy and agriculture would be in deplorable shambles. Pola
Festival, also known as Pithori Amavasya is celebrated during Sharavana or
monsoon and lays great emphasis on treating the bestial creatures with due
respect. The festival is celebrated on a lovely new moon night when the star
studded whitewashed sky closely resembles a ripe and flourishing paddy field.
At the culmination of this ceremony, ploughing and sowing of seeds begin. Pola
or Bail Pola is a festival that is grandly celebrated in rural India, which has
a predominantly agrarian economy. The festivites commence with the farmers
adorning their bulls with decorating garments, embellishing their bodies with
turmeric powder and garlanding the beast and finally offering them holy food.
The evenings witness musical parades promenades where the farmers march with
their cattle in tow.

Bhoramdeo Festival

Maharaj Ramachandra
who was one of the members of Nag Kingdom of Chhattisgarh established the
famous temple of Raipur where the Bhoramdeo Festival is celebrated toady.
Situated at a distance of around 135 km from the city of Raipur, the temple
becomes a live manifestation of vigor and celebration in the last week of March
when Bhoramdeo festival takes place. The local people of the state come in
large numbers to the premises of the temple to witness the aide array of
festive events. From dance dramas to folk songs, every type of recreational
activity is arranged withing the compounds of the Bhoaramdeo temple. Not only
the inhabitants of Chhattisgarh, but also people from other states of India
visit the temple complex during the Bhoramdeo Festival.

Champaran Mela

This annual fair has
obtained its name from the place where it is celebrated. Champaran is situated
at a distance of 56 km from the state capital of Chhattisgarh. The fair at
Champaran is held on the month of Magh, that is from the January to February. This
cultural fair of Champaran is very popular. It is attended by a number of
people from all over the state. Mainly the followers of Vaishnav religion visit
the Champaran Mela.

Narayanpur Mela

for the Narayanpur
Mela, and they celebrate this festival with a lot of happiness and exuberance.
The term Mela literally means fair but the Narayanpur Mela is not a fair but a
festival.
On the occasion of
thiS festival, the tribal people follow several traditions and customs. They
worship the tribal deities. After worshipping their deities with a lot of
devotion, they engage themselves in unrestrained merry making. The gaiety of
the tribals knows no bounds. Several sessions of drinking are an integral part
of the festivities.
All of us are probably
well versed with the fact that collective dancing is an essential part of
tribal culture. When they celebrate the Narayanpur Mela, their rhythmic dancing
to the notes of fabulous drum music is simply a treat to watch. Dancing
together without any restrain or reserve is a way of manifesting their joy and
elation. Cheerful freewheeling marks this Chhattisgarh Festival and provides
valuable insight into the ethnic way of living of these colorful people.

Bamleshwari Fair

The fair is celebrated
during the both the Navratri Parvas at Dongargarh hill in Rajnand Gaon
district. This is a big fair, devotees come from different places. The flame is
also lit here.

Fagun Madai

This festival takes
place in March, starting 7-8 days before Holi and ending a few days after Holi.
The main attractions of this festival are the deities and the dances based on
various tribal and folk stories. The madai (fair), marking the end of the festival,
is attended by tribals from all over India.

Sheorinarayn Fair

The Sheorinarayan Fair
is held on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day in the month of Magh. The
date is fixed following the Hindu calendar but it more or less corresponds to
the month of February in the Gregorian calendar. The Sheorinarayan Fair in
Chhattisgarh is a wonderful occasion for the devotees of Lord Rama to come and
visit the temple as well as be a part of this colorful and vibrant fiesta.
The followers of this
legendary hero Ram offer their prayers at the Sheorinarayan temple. They have
ample scope to move around and visit the various shops that are set up at the
time of the fair. The shops house a variety of items. Drop in to any of the
eating joints that are there and you will surely like the unique taste of these
relatively low priced snacks. The fair ground bustles with a lot of activity
and it is a treat to watch so many colorful people in such large numbers
wandering about. The happy expressions on these bright faces who are so content
with the little things of life give pleasure to the onlookers as well. The
sights and sounds are very diverse.

The Earth Festival

The Sheorinarayan Fair
is held on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day in the month of Magh. The
date is fixed following the Hindu calendar but it more or less corresponds to
the month of February in the Gregorian calendar. The Sheorinarayan Fair in
Chhattisgarh is a wonderful occasion for the devotees of Lord Rama to come and
visit the temple as well as be a part of this colorful and vibrant fiesta.
The followers of this
legendary hero Ram offer their prayers at the Sheorinarayan temple. They have
ample scope to move around and visit the various shops that are set up at the
time of the fair. The shops house a variety of items. Drop in to any of the
eating joints that are there and you will surely like the unique taste of these
relatively low priced snacks. The fair ground bustles with a lot of activity
and it is a treat to watch so many colorful people in such large numbers
wandering about. The happy expressions on these bright faces who are so content
with the little things of life give pleasure to the onlookers as well. The
sights and sounds are very diverse.

Chakradhar Samaroh

The Chakradhar
Festival is a result of the initiative taken by the Ustad Allaudin Khan Sangeet
Academy and the Chakradhar Lalit Kala Kendra, two institutes dedicated to the
promotion of music.
Each year, dancers and
musicians from different parts of the country come to this Musical Festival in
Chhattisgarh to display their talents. It is a wonderful opportunity for them
to uphold their endowments. A visit to the Chakradhar Festival in Chhattisgarh
will give you the wonderful opportunity to witness the programmes of several
jewels at the same time. They all possess exceptional caliber and that is well
manifested in their performances. Chhattisgarh Festivals like these reflect the
rich cultural heritage of our country.
The Chakradhar Festival is celebrated each
year at the time of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Madai Festival

This tribal festival is celebrated by the tribes of Kanker and Bastar
regions, to worship the local God(dess). It travels through the Kanker, Bastar
and Dantewada regions from December to March each year.
In December, celebrations start in Bastar to honour the goddess
Kesharpal Kesharpalin Devi. In January, the people of Kanker, Charama and Kurna
celebrate the festival. In February the festival goes back to Bastar and
Cheri-Chher-Kin is honoured this time. Towards the end of February, the
festival goes to Antagarh, Narayanpur and Bhanupratappur. In March it goes to
Kondagaon, Keshkal and Bhopalpattanam.
It is held in a big ground, so that thousands of people can attend the
ceremony, which starts with a procession of the local God(dess), followed by
worhip of the same, culminating in cultural programs, dancing and lots of good
food.

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